Son of Arceus
by HollyAsh13
Summary: Ash finds out that he's the son of Arceus, the creator of the pokemon world.What will change? Who will be his enemy? And will Serena still like him after this? Rated Teen, just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

A bright new day was dawning over the Kalos region. Ash Ketchum and his friends were walking along as if this were just another day. Ash looked over at his companions, his eyes lingering upon Serena. He saw the twinkle in her eyes, the joy in her smile, her beautiful blond hair bouncing up and down as she trekked on the bumpy ground. To him, she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, human or pokemon. _But how do I tell her?_ he wondered. Meanwhile, Clemont, the Lumiose City gym leader, was checking the map while Bonnie, his little sister, annoyed the heck out of him.

"Clemont, when do we get to the next city? I'm hungry. My feet hurt. It's hot. This is boring. And no offense, but you need a shower if I'm ever going to get you married," Bonnie complained. Gently batting her away, Clemont took a harder look at the map. Ash was surprised as his look of concentration turned into a frown.

"Hey guys? I think we're lost," Clemont stated, a note of worry in his voice. _Lost? Great. And it has to be the one time we're running out of food._ At the thought, his stomach rumbled. The other three laughed, and Ash smiled. He loved Serena's laugh, the way it hit a high note and rolled over his ears like a wave, and the way her giggle sounded like the song of Meloetta. He was paying so much attention to Serena that he didn't notice the rock in his path that he tripped over.

"Pika! Pi-kachu!" Pikachu complained. Ash's knees stung as he hit the ground, his face flushed. He pulled himself up, wiping the dust off his clothes, then tried putting on a grin and bearing it. Failing at that, he listened to Pikachu yell at him and Bonnie laugh like a snorlax as Serena tended to his scrapes. _Dear Arceus, what does Serena think of me now? She probably thinks that I'm the clumsiest, dumbest trainer in all of Kalos._

"Are you okay, Ash? That was a nasty fall. And there's a lot of dirt in this scrape on your elbow," Serena fussed, spraying some disinfectant onto his knee and elbow. His scrapes stung, and Ash bit back a cry of pain. Serena would think he was a wimp if he cried about something as minor as disinfectant. Still, it was nice to have Serena tending him. "Ash? Ash? Earth to Ash, come in Ash."

"Oh, sorry Serena. What'd you say?" He loved the sound of her voice.

"I asked, are you okay? Geez, Ash, your head's in the clouds today."

"Sorry, I'm just thinking about the next" – Ash started to say, but Bonnie interrupted.

"I'm HUNGRY! When do we eat? Are we gonna have to eat each other? Dibs on Ash!" Bonnie continued to ramble on about food, but Bonnie's comment's worried him. What if they didn't have enough food to last until they got to the next city? "Ash, at least, is fat enough to last a few days!"

"Bonnie! I'm not fat!" At least, Ash didn't think he was was. Did Serena think he was? Oh no, she'd never date him if he was fat!

"But you eat more than a Snorlax! How can you not be fat? Do you have hollow legs or something? That has to be it, cause if Clemont eats as much as you, he gets constipation."

"BONNIE!" Clemont roared. As Clemont chased Bonnie around, Ash looked up into the bright day and smiled. Today was just another day, right?

Wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

At lunch, Ash and Clemont set the table while Serena cooked soup. Clemont, who was very perceptive, noticed Ash taking sideways glances at Serena. Clemont smiled. _Still lovesick over Serena would be my guess._ Clemont knew about love, in more ways than one. His heart thumped at the thought of Callie, the girl who broke his heart. _He should at least know that I won't compete._ Clemont knew about the ache of having your crush fall for someone else.

"Clemont? Clemont? Clemont? Clemont? CLEMONT!" Bonnie asked. Clemont smiled. His sister was annoying, but he had grown used to the pestering.

"Yes, Bonnie?"

"Does something feel wrong to you? Like we're being watched?"

"Not really, no. But who knows what Team Rocket's doing?" There had been several attacks that week, including one that had startled them while they were sleeping. Clemont knew that it wasn't above Team Rocket to ambush them.

"No, I think something more powerful than Team Rocket." Bonnie sounded serious, but right now, the only thing Clemont could feel was the weight of the plates he was putting down.

"Bonnie, Xerneas is not going to jump out of the bushes and ambush us. Cakm down and go play with Dedenne." Clemont didn't have time to do this. Bonnie sat down a frown on her face.

"I'm not so sure Clemont. I'm just not sure."

**Alright! Second chapter is done! Thank you, cakepokemon and Heartofadragon2014 for liking of my story and I hope you and others like my story. Please comment and PM me.**


	3. Uh, Guys? This is a notice

Guys, I've read your reviews, and I'll try to have more fluid writing. And I'll make the chapters longer. And I'll focus on Bonnie's and Ash's viewpoints, while having viewpoints from OC's and I'll have at least one reminiscence scene from Serena's, Clemont's, and my OC's point of view- each. Also, there will be at least one exposition, where Delia explains why and how Ash is half Pokémon, which, BTW, explains Ash's abilities to control manna, have a strong bond to Pokémon, and why he's met EVERY FREAKING LEGENDARY POKEMON! Also, Muffins. Don't ask.


	4. Chapter 3

Bonnie didn't know what was making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, but she knew it couldn't be good. The older children were too dense to realize the shadows lurking in the woods, the eyes that watched them as they traveled, and the whispers in the night. Clemont wouldn't listen to her, and Ash would charge headfirst into danger without thinking, so Serena was probably her best option to go to. Bonnie went up and tugged on Serena's sleeve.

"Yes, Bonnie? What is it?" Maybe Serena would listen to her.

"Have you noticed? Like there's something watching us?"

"Not really, Bonnie," Serena said. "I think it's just your imagination, Bonnie. Or maybe it's your habit of eating cupcakes before bed with Dedenne. Why don't you go play now?" Bonnie skulked off, angry at how no one would take her seriously.

Why didn't anyone believe her? Bonnie knew about the threat of danger, but the older kids were too confident of their stupid battling skills to address any real danger. "You believe me, right, Dedenne?" Bonnie asked her Pokémon friend. She knew that it couldn't really understand her, but it felt nice to know that someone trusted her abilities.

"De! Dede!" Bonnie didn't understand Dedenne, either, but she didn't care. She snuggled her sweet Pokémon. _I wish that everyone understood me like Dedenne so that I could have some real friends, not just older kids who pretend to. _

Bonnie's thoughts were interrupted by a weird noise to her right. Bonnie stood up, scared out of her skin. Dedenne, however, took one sniff at the bushes and visibly relaxed. "Dedenne? What's in there? Come on out, whoever you are!" she yelled at the noise. Bonnie looked over her shoulder. She was in a spot where none of the big kids could help or hear her if something attacked her. "Aw, who needs them? I can take care of myself. Show yourself!" Something stepped out of the shadows.

"I am Queen Lorellia, and I need your help."

Bonnie couldn't believe what she had just agreed to. If Clemont learned about this, he'd have her hide. Still, Lorellia sounded trustworthy, and her cause was just. Plus, Lorellia was about Clemont's age, so with luck, Bonnie had found her brother a good wife!

"Hey guys?" Clemont asked as they came across a fork in the road. "Which way should we go?"

"RIGHT! Right, Right, Right, Right!" Bonnie yelled. The older kids looked at her strangely, but Bonnie had been asked by Lorellia to lead them to the right path. "Um, I heard that there's a really good restaurant on that path!" At the word _restaurant_, Ash's stomach grumbled, and he grinned sheepishly. The older kids laughed, but Bonnie couldn't stop worrying.

"Alright, I suppose we take the right path, then, by Bonnie's and Ash's stomach's vote," Clemont concluded, and they went on the right path. Bonnie let out a sigh. It was going to work.

Clemont didn't know what was up with Bonnie. He knew his sister well enough to kmow that she'd be looking for cute pokemon and cracking jokes at his expense, not looking over her shoulder like she was expecting someone- or something- to pop out of the bushes. He pulled his sister away at the next rest stop. "Alright, Bonnie, spill it- what's going on?"

Bonnie squirmed for a minute, then said, "I can't tell you. I promised that I wouldn't." Clemont sighed. He knew that he wouldn't get any more out of Bonnie, so he went back to the others.

"Uh, guys? Do you feel something? Like something is watching us?" Serena asked. Ash looked around and nodded. Now that Serena mentioned it, Clemont did feel like something was watching him. He went to get his stuff, so that they could be on the move if Team Rocket attacked. Before he could even move, however, a girl stepped out of the shadows and took his breath away.

She was tall, thin, and strong. She pushed her hair, blond and straight, out of her deep blue eyes. Her tanned arm bore a rose tattoo, and her red lips parted in a satisfied smile. "So, it seems you keep your word. Thank you, Bonnie." _Wait, did she say BONNIE?_ The girl continued. "I am Queen Lorellia, and you are trespassing on Concourdian land. I ask that you come peacefully with me, and don't argue, or I'll be forced to hurt you."

Lorellia was cut off from saying anything else when Ash yelled out, "Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" However, seconds before Pikachu made contact, Lorellia knelt down and started speaking in a heavy, whispering-like tongue. Pikachu stopped for a few seconds, then visibly wept with joy. Ash looked confused, but only for a few seconds, because after the Queen stood up, she walked over, Pikachu by her side, and struck Ash in what must have been a pressure point, because Ash collapsed, wheezing.

"Anyone else? Relax, he's not hurt, just stunned, that's it." Lorellia hauled Ash to his feet. "Don't try attacking me again. I can speak Ancient Tongue, which Pokemon understand, so your pokemon will never attack me."

Lorellia waved her hand, and several young trainers stepped out of the trees. The children had no choice but to follow Lorellia Through the woods. Clemont glanced at Bonnie, talking happily to Lorellia. His sister was a traitor. He knew it. And he needed to know why.


	5. Chapter 4

Pikachu didn't know why Ash was so angry with the nice lass. Personally, he was overjoyed that the maiden knew Old Speak. The last time that Pikachu had heard the language, he was just a Pichu, his mother teaching him snippets and pieces to use. He had almost forgotten the words, but the kind lass reminded him. Oh, it felt amazing for someone other than other Pokémon to understand him! He couldn't count the times that Ash had sent him out to battle when he just wanted to nap. Still, he had been surprised that the lass knew the old language of Pokémon and People. He ran up to the nice lass, at Ash's protest.

He ran up between Bonnie and Lass, and asked Lass, in Old Speak, "_When will we get to where we're going_?" Bonnie looked down. She, unlike the lass, did not know the language.

Lass smiled. "_We'll be there in a few minutes. I'm not one to make my guests travel a long way, and this is no exception. You, and your trainer, and his friends, will be well cared for in Concourdia._"

Lass saw Bonnie's confused expression and translated the conversation for her. Then, Lass stated. "I was taught by my _Grand'Mere_ to speak a language that both Pokémon and people can speak and understand. If you want, when we get back and you're all settled down, I'll teach you a few phrases in Old Speak."

"Old Speak? Are you serious? That's its name? And it's a real thing? It kind of sounded like you were just making up words. How do you say 'hello' in Old Speak?" Bonnie interrogated Lass with more questions than an Alakazam could answer.

"Yes, yes, yes, _Kirokas_." Lass answered the questions in rapid fire. "Oh, look, we're here!" The motley group parted to let Lass lead the way to the mouth of a big cave. Boulders blocked the entrance. Pikachu wondering how they were going to get in, but "_Cryptid's crest and Sister's song_," the Lass murmured in Old Speak. The boulders disappeared and the group walked into the cave. What Pikachu saw took his breath away.

The cavern was humungous. There must have been a thousand people in the main area alone. There were a dozen antechambers, each with several hallways leading out of those. The size of the cave was much more humongous than possible form the size of the cave opening. Two of the guards- Pikachu had almost forgotten they were there- took Ash by the arm and led him down one of the hallways. Three others took Serena and Clemont down the same route. Bonnie, however, stayed with Lass, and Pikachu couldn't decide between following Ash or the Lass.

The lass looked down at Pikachu and said," _Go with your trainer, and take this_." She gave him a small stone "_I only have a few of these. If you and the boy are touching it at the same time, you will be able to talk to him for a few minutes and explain why you didn't attack." _ The lass took Bonnie one way, and Pikachu went another.

Lorellia took Bonnie gently by the arm, passing several people and Pokémon on the way to the library. Bonnie recognized a Sylvian, Greninja, Slurpuff, and Inkay, and a Pokémon that looked like a sword. She also saw people of all different ages, from babies to a woman old enough to be her grandmother. When they got to the library, Lorellia sat down at an old table and invited Bonnie to sit down.

"Long ago, a young girl decided that she didn't want to go on a journey, to capture Pokémon that might not even want to be captured, forced to fight battles while their so-called 'masters' got the credit and badges. Now, most trainers are quite nice, but some abuse and beat the Pokémon they've forced away from their homes and into tight, cramped little poke balls, having no control over their lives. That young girl started an underground kingdom in Kalos, and over the years she gathered followers who followed her philosophy. When she grew older, she handed over her throne to a competent successor, who, after many years, handed the throne to me.

"I have ruled the empire for a few years now, but I long to see the world. After I hand my land over to the successor, I am free to do as I wish, but I have not found anyone capable of taking over the land. We are threatened by an evil corporation trying to steal our secrets. More people are deserting, and morale is down. The worst threat is a gang in our midst, attacking and hurting the guests and children. "

Lorellia gave Bonnie a somber look. "I have a reason to keep you and your friends with me now. I need you and your friends to help my people. Especially your raven-haired friend. I need you to keep a secret for me."

Bonnie smiled up at her. "Of course I can!" Bonnie felt awesome that Lorellia trusted her that much.

But what Lorellia said next shocked her beyond compare.


	6. Chapter 5

Ash was ashamed. Not only did Pikachu abandon him, but he was beaten with a single blow. Still, that one blow had hurt so badly that he hadn't been able to see for a few moments. He rubbed his neck. The bump felt a little harder. Ash was pretty sure that meant that is was healing. He stood up and looked around the room.

It was small, but useful for a bedroom. The soft bed that he was sitting on moments ago had deep green covers, with blue pillows. The walls were a deep brown. There was no door, just a doorway. A young boy had brought him some soup earlier, but Ash was too worried and depressed to eat, which was a new for him. He took the excess time to scream out loud.

Pikachu raced into the room, a little stone in its mouth. "Pika! Pika- kachu!" Pikachu said, it's voiced muffled by the stone.

"What is it, Pikachu?" Ash didn't blame Pikachu because it was hypnotized by that witch. He took the stone from Pikachu's mouth. The background apparently had a spaz attack, as the walls disappeared and was replaced by odd, random colors. Ash jumped and backed up, but what happened next was the weirdest thing by far.

"Ash, listen, we only have a few moments, so listen carefully. This is a magic stone that will let us talk. The Lass told me to explain to you what happened."

"You can talk?! Why haven't you done this before?"

"Ash, shut up and listen. The lass gave me this stone so I could explain to you why I didn't attack her. She told me that she wouldn't hurt you or me, and that she needed our cooperation. "

"But-"

Pikachu sighed. "No, she did not hypnotize me, no she did not bribe me, no she is not a witch, no she is not working for team rocket, therefore no, you don't need to fear her. Calm down and stop thinking that she's going to eat us." Pikachu's voice started to wane. "Oh no! It's running out! Ash, she's not going to hurt us. Trust her! Trust- Pikachu! Pika Pika chu!" The background faded back into the room. Pikachu shouted what must have been Pokémon expletives, and then raced out of the room.

_Well, I guess that solves the issue of whether or not I sneak out in the night. _Ash flumped back onto his bed and yelled into the pillow. Things just weren't going to cooperate with him today, were they?

Clemont didn't know where the guards were taking him, or why they had put a blindfold on him, but he didn't think it was good. He had asked them time and time again where he was going, but all they had done was say, "You'll see." They would answer any other question, but when he asked where he was going, it was the same answer every time: "You'll see." He knew that they were going somewhere close to aboveground, because even though there was little light (The blindfold was white, and even Clemont could tell that it was dark) he could feel a breeze on his face from the direction they were going.

"We're here," the guard on his right said. Clemont started. _Finally! _ The motley group went through what must have been huge doors, and the guard on his left brought him to a chair. GOTL removed Clemont's blindfold.

_Whoa._ The room was spacious, with a beautiful skylight that showed a piece of the turquoise sky. The bed frame was a dark mahogany, and the cover a light pine green. The walls were a nice sunny gold, and had gentle paintings ranging from two leafeons playing on a small grassy knoll to a young girl riding a Ponyta across a desert. The true majesty of the room, however, was a very detailed picture of Clemont, Ash, Serena, and Bonnie, trekking down a winding path together, Bonnie riding on Clemont's shoulders, Pikachu wearing Ash's hat, Serena rolling her eyes but still giggling slightly. That had happened a few days ago, before they had entered the woods. "Where am I?" Clemont wondered aloud.

"You're in the queen's room. She will be with you in a little while," GOTR said. The guards left the room before Clemont could ask another question. Clemont thought over the events of the day. Bonnie had allied with a mystery girl who was the queen of an underground kingdom. The mysterious girl could also talk to and understand Pokémon. This mysterious girl also apparently wanted a private audience with him, for a reason unknown to him. Life couldn't get weirder.

The door opened, and the girl stepped out of the shadows, still looking as annoyingly beautiful as the first time he saw her. Bonnie followed, Dedenne on her shoulder, a little bracelet on her right wrist. "Hello. Bonnie has told me a lot about you, Clemont," The girl said. "Oh, and you may address me as either Most Supreme High Amazing Wonderful Somewhat Clumsy Queen, or Lela." Lela smiled. "I figured it prudent to mention that your sister proposed you to me at least six times. Each time," she said, noticing the look on Clemont's face, "I said that I would think about it."

"Why is it that you want to talk to me? Why not Ash, or Serena? Why me?" Clemont asked. He was angry at this strange girl who had essentially kidnapped him and his friends. He didn't understand why Bonnie agreed to this. He especially wanted something to eat. Great. Now he was sounding like Ash.

"I want to talk to you because the girl is too afraid of me to talk, and the boy will still be angry at me for defeating him so easily. You will be the most level-headed choice to negotiate with. I want you and your friends to know that breakfast is at 8, lunch at noon, and dinner at 6, and that it is in the blue hallway. Your Bedroom is two doors down, on the left." The girl walked out of the room, Bonnie following her.

_So much for escaping, _Clemont thought. He got up and went down to his room. It was smaller, but still nice. The walls were a light blue, with no windows or a door but a doorway. The covers of his bed were a nice deep brown, like chocolate, the same color as the wood forming the frame of his bed. There was also a bookshelf next to the bed with a few books that he had read before and some others he had never read. He fell onto the bed and pulled out a copy of _The Magikarp's great journey_. It was a fairytale that he had read to Bonnie when she was little. His eyelids began to droop. Before he had even begun to read, he fell into blissful sleep.


	7. Chapter 6

Serena sat glumly against the wall. She didn't know what to think of this Lorellia girl. While Serena admired strong a strong, empowered girl who could hold her own, Lorellia might have her own reasons for keeping them here, and they wouldn't be able to fight back- Serena had seen what had happened to Ash - or leave. And Bonnie! Why would Bonnie lead them into a strange girl's clutches? And where did Bonnie meet this strange girl? Serena sat back down onto the bed and surveyed the room.

The bed she sat on had a nice, sky-blue cover, with a light oak frame. The walls were a gentle pink and had silvery stars on the roof. There was a small desk with a pen, paper, and small book with a blue cover. Serena slumped onto the bed. _I wonder when we're going to get dinner. _Her stomach rumbled at the thought.

As if by magic, Lorellia walked into the room, a tray concealing something in her hands. Lorellia smiled. "I take it that my guards are treating you well?"

Serena's voice trembled a little as she mumbled a "Yes." She couldn't hide her fear of this strange girl. Lorellia laughed.

"Relax; I only hurt those who threaten my subjects. I wanted to talk to you about your friend. May I sit down? I brought dinner." Serena scooched over, making room for Lorellia. Lorellia sat down and removed the top of the tray, revealing two bowls of soup and two slices of bread. Serena's stomach and mind had a duel over what to do, but her stomach won.

Lorellia and Serena ate their soup and bread, and then relaxed on the bed. Serena smiled. "Thank you. Pardon me if I'm being rude, but how is it possible that you are queen? You can't be any older than I am!" Serena felt like she needed to ask. "I mean, those guards were at least sixteen years old, and you don't seem to have any Pokémon." At this last sentence, Serena let out her Fenniken.

"Fen! Fenniken!" Fenniken yipped. To Serena's surprise, Lorellia got off the bed, kneeled down, and began to speak in a deep voice, whispering and hissing, almost under her breath. Fenniken's ears twitched and it began to hiss back, its tail wagging. After a few moments of this hissing speak, Lorellia stood up, nodded, and sat back down onto the bed.

"Your friend tells me that you treat her well. That is good. To answer your question, in Concourdia, we don't look at things like age. Besides, I have hidden talents. Oh, and please call me Lela." Lela then went to the desk and pulled out a drawer that Serena hadn't noticed before, grabbing a hairbrush and hairbands. "Um, this is kind of a silly question, but can we do each other's hair? I never did stuff like that when I was younger." Lela looked so embarrassed just standing there, Serena had to agree. She had never done stuff like that when she was younger, either.

The next hour was the best time Serena had had all week. They put each other's hair in the most ridiculous styles possible, adding hair clips and washable color streaks, and at one point tying their hair together, all accompanied by giggles. "That was the most fun I've had in years!" Lela cried, wiping happy-tears from her eyes. Serena only giggled a reply, untying her tight braid and pulling out the hair clips.

"Oh, wow, it's really late! I have to get to bed and you as well. I'll help you clean up, but then I need to do the nightly check and head straight to bed afterwards." Lela started picking up the hair clumps and hair bands, and Serena joined her.

"What's the nightly check?" Serena asked.

"It's a patrol around the woods where we collect firewood and food. If trainers were to stumble upon one of our Pokémon friends, they might try to capture them, and since few, if any, people know what Old Speak is, let alone speak it, the pokemon might never escape. I would never let that happen to my citizens. If you would like, you may come with me, along with Bonnie." Lela undid the last of her mini buns and stood up, her now free hair falling to her shoulders.

"Bonnie?" Serena had almost forgotten about the young girl. "Isn't she a little young to do something like this? She might get hurt."

Lela cast a _really?_ look at Serena. "Age thing, remember? Besides, how do I know that you won't get hurt?" She had a point there. Fenniken yipped, getting Serena's attention so that it could go back into its poke ball.

"All right, I'll come with you, if you'll have me. I'd like to apologize to Bonnie for getting angry." Serena stood up and stretched. She then grabbed her hat and snuck on her shoes while Lela waited.

"You ready?" Lela asked when she was done.

"Yep. Let's go!" And with that, the two set off to meet the other group. Maybe Lela wasn't so bad at all.


	8. Chapter 7

Bonnie sat quietly in the dim light, Dedenne on her shoulder. The other two kids, a young boy and a teenage girl, were telling jokes, but Bonnie could care less. _Ash! Of all people!_ She still couldn't believe the secret that Lela had told her. Bonnie looked out the open skylight. What had Lela said? "Don't forget to guard your thoughts, and don't worry about it too much. It happens more often than you might think," Lela had told her. Bonnie let her thoughts wander back to dinner.

They had eaten potato and carrot soup with fresh bread. Lela had only stopped by for a few moments. A young girl had brought Ash to the dining room, because according to her, Clemont had fallen asleep, a book in his hands. _Typical_, Bonnie had thought. The young girl, who had introduced herself as Myla, had kept them company, telling jokes and funny stories about living in Concourdia. Ash thought the stories were funny, but Bonnie mainly focused on eating her food as quickly as possible and hurrying to the spot that Lela had mentioned.

Speak of the devil, Lela hurried towards them, Serena at her heels. "Sorry I'm late! We kinda got caught up in the moment. Is there room for one more?" Lela asked quickly as she and Serena gasped for breath.

The older girl looked over at some backpacks hanging on the wall to Bonnie's left. "Yep, we have enough for everyone, including the guests."

"Good. Serena, Bonnie, let me help you with those." With that, Lela picked three packs off the wall, slinging one on and handing the other two to Serena and Bonnie. Bonnie opened her pack. Inside, there was some rope, a pair of what looked like sunglasses with straps, a little stone with a few stars on it, and several other pieces of equipment.

"Hey, can I help you with those?" Serena asked, trying to honestly apologize.

"Sure." Bonnie handed Serena the sunglasses, and stood still while Serena vainly tried to figure out how the straps fit together, all while Lela stood by with a curious look.

"Urghh!" Serena threw down the glasses in frustration. "I can't figure out how these stupid straps work! What is this thing anyway?"

"They're night vision glasses," Lela explained patiently. "The red straps go in the green buckles, the blue straps go in the orange buckles, and the yellow straps go in the purple buckles."

Serena quickly apologized, untangling the straps and attaching the glasses to Bonnie's head. _Whoa. Cool! _Everything was suddenly a whole lot brighter. She could see every little crack, every little detail, of the room. She noticed the bags under Lela's eyes, the plastic hair clip caught in Serena's hair. Everything that was lost in the darkness suddenly became bright and easy to pick out.

"Yeah, I was awestruck the first time I tried them on, too." Lela strolled over to Bonnie and Serena. "Here, I'll help you get yours on," she said, taking Serena's glasses and helping her put her glasses on. Serena, too, gasped as her eyes flickered all around the room, taking in everything that Bonnie had. Lela quickly fastened hers on and even she blinked a few times before getting used to it.

"All right, now that you're all finished flirting," the young boy to Bonnie's left said, "can we get a move on? Rose said that the best time for patrolling was at moon-high."

"We are not flirting," Lela said. "And if I was, I would be looking extraordinarily sexy, wearing something that doesn't smell like sulfur, and chewing on a breath mint."

Serena laughed, but Bonnie asked, "Um, what's moon-high?" Bonnie had forgotten that the Concourdian dialect was different from the aboveground dialect.

"Moon-high is the time where the moon casts no shadows. You above-grounders call it midnight, but we refer to the old terms. Sun-high is noon, moonrise is dusk, and sunrise is, well, sunrise. That reminds me," Lela whispered into Bonnie's ear, "I'd like to meet you in the green room at nine o'clock AM, for a bit of training.

"All right," Lela said, standing up and handing Bonnie's pack to her, "time to set off. Let's go!" With that, Lela slung _Bonnie_ onto her back and with a hop, skip and a jump, she was jumping through the skylight and into the dark trees.

"Wait here while I help the others out, please," Lela requested as she let Bonnie off her back. "I trust that you'll be able to take care of herself?"

"Yeah, I can!" Bonnie exclaimed. And with that, Lela was off.

…

Serena was shocked. "Where did they go?" she asked the teen girl to her left.

The girl smiled. "Look up."

"Well, yeah, but the window's at least eight feet up! How could she possibly leap that high up? You'd have to be a Greninja to do that!"

"Well, that's our kitty queen. You should see her in battle. By the way, I'm Riana."

"Huh. I'm Serena." Serena moved her glasses down a little. "So how are we supposed to get out? And why did you call her a 'kitty queen?'"

"I help you up," Lela's voice echoed from the window. Lela's head poked out from the skylight, and a moment later some rope fell down to the floor. "And they call me their kitty queen because of how I act like a Skitty or Purrloin."

One by one, Serena, Riana, and the boy, who was named Leo, climbed up and out of the room. Bonnie and Lela helped them down and off the roof. Serena quickly learned that the patrol happened in the trees, so that they could look down and see any and all trainers, and that trainers, depending on how they treated their Pokémon, were either offered hospitality or chased out of the land via ghost costumes. Because of Bonnie, Serena and her friends were given food and shelter instead of being stuck with little food and two days away from the nearest town.

_I have to thank Bonnie. But in the morning. _Serena stifled a yawn. _Right now, sleep is calling my name._

…

Half an hour later, the group was back at the cave, after finding no one in the forest. Bonnie slept peacefully on Lela's back, having fallen asleep halfway through. Lela smiled. Dedenne would be wondering where Bonnie had gone off to, no doubt. Next to Lela, Serena yawned, then said, "I don't know about you guys, but I could pass out here and sleep until next Tuesday. I'm going to bed." With that, she disappeared down the hallway towards her room.

Riana and Leo, too, immediately went to their rooms after hanging up their packs. Lela made sure that everything was in the right pack, before taking Bonnie to her room and tucking her in, all without waking her. Lela stayed in her room for a few minutes, just watching Bonnie sleep. She had never had a little sibling, but Bonnie was the closest thing she had, even if they had only met a few days ago. Serena also seemed like a friend that she could trust. Lela stifled a giggle, thinking of the crazy hairstyles they had concocted.

Lela walked back to her room, but not before checking on Serena, Ash, and especially Clemont. He looked so cute when he slept, with his hair forming a picture frame around his adorable face and … no. For his sake, she could never care for him. She had to teach them, and then send them along, prepared for the world. _Every mentor must send their student into the world._ For her kingdom, and for the sake of everyone close to her, she must never tell her secret to anyone. Lela thought back to the day where everything had changed.

_Lela hadn't known that Jonso had been watching her, with his silly questions like how she would punish someone who had stolen jewelry or if she would sacrifice herself to save the Pokémon nursery. She had honestly thought that she was in trouble when he had called her to the throne room. She had no idea of the decision he had in mind._

_ "Yes, King Jonso, you wanted to see me?" she had asked him, afraid of what she may have done that would deserve his attention. The council stood a little while away, all watching with expectant faces. Was this about the time she had snuck out past curfew to watch a Pokémon battle? Or the time that she had run away from the gathering group to go play in the stream?_

_ "Relax, Lela, you're not in trouble. I just wanted to talk to you about something very big. You see, I'm getting old, and I can tell that you're a girl beyond your years." Jonso stood up and strolled up to Lela. He removed his crown. His advisors gasped._

_ "My king, you can't mean this!" one of his advisors warned._

_ "Morton, I most certainly can," the king replied._

_ "Sir, do… do you mean to say what I think-" Lela asked hesitantly._

_ "I most certainly do. Lela, I name you as queen of this land. Wield the crown well." With that King Jonso lifted the crown off his head and placed it gently onto Lela's, all while she watched with excited eyes. She was Queen Lorellia now, leader of Concourdian, and all of her lifelong dreams had been fulfilled._

Lela sighed contentedly. She had only been eight years old when she had been crowned. That had been three years ago. Since then, she had made sure to set up a job program, establish a Pokémon equality program, and strengthen the defenses of Concourdia. Her mentor, Jonso, had died a year ago. Lela remembered how he had trained her in the ways of lordship. He had been a kind friend to her, and she still missed his kind eyes, his peaceful reign, and his crinkly laugh. He had been the closest thing that Lela had to a father. She liked to think that he was still watching her.

Lela looked at the drawing of Clemont and his friends. She had watched them as they entered the woods. It was such a cute scene, Lela just had to paint it on her wall. Still, paint couldn't quite capture the moment the way it was in real life, the smile on Bonnie face, the look in Serena's eyes, the bounce of Ash's shoulders, or the care in Clemont's face. The image still filled Lela with a sense of hope and love, and she liked to look at it when she felt down.

As she reviewed the day, Lela's thoughts wandered back to Clemont, no matter how much she tried to ignore him. There was something about the boy that caught Lela's attention, whether it was his attitude or his cute eyes or his adorable smile or the way he looked when he slept, or maybe it was all of that. _I have to talk to all of them tomorrow, especially Clemont._ Lela stifled a giggle. Even his name was cute! Maybe it was just her being tired, but Lela couldn't stop thinking about the sweet boy. _I guess I'll reconsider the marriage proposal. _Lela yawned and slipped into her pajamas. She slipped into bed as dreams gripped her mind.

…

_Darkness. Sweet darkness, cocooning and blanketing her. Nothing but gentle darkness. Lela gently swam through the darkness, enjoying the silky smoothness of the black about her. Then, it became suffocating. Black, nothing but black, no light, no air. Lela couldn't breathe. The tendrils gripped her wrists and ankles, holding her down, as the black grasped the cold knife. "Lela, Lela," it whispered._

_ "Let me go!" Lela struggled to free herself. "Help! HELP!"_

Lela woke up and screamed. A cold drop of sweat dripped down her neck. It happened. The nightmares were back.


	9. Another notice (because I can!)

I've changed my mind. This fanfic will still have Bonnie and Ash as main characters, but the story will also focus on the other three- Lela, Serena, and Clemont. There will be amourshipping, and we will have more Ash, but he's a hard character to write for. The secret will be revealed, but in the coolest way I can think up. The chapters will be longer, but they will take more time. My fanfic, my rules, bite me (not really.) I'm listening, and I do like reviews, but this is my first fanfic ever, and it won't be my best, so stop expecting it to be the Mona Lisa!


	10. Chapter 8

Clemont was having a nice dream when he had been awoken by the scream. He froze, not knowing what to do. Should he act, or just try to go back to be? _What would the others do?_ Clemont asked himself. Ash would run into danger. Serena would probably call out into the darkness. And Bonnie… would put on a brave face and venture in alone. Clemont looked over his options, then decided to follow in Ash's example and go figure out what was going on.

He slipped on his shoes, took a candle that had been placed by his bed, lit it, and ventured into the hallway. The soft yellow light cast by the candle echoed around the corridor, showering light into several empty rooms and onto the door of the queen's room. _It couldn't be, could it? _The scream _had_ come from the direction of Lela's room. Clemont finally decided, after weighing his choices, shakily walked up to the large doors and knocked.

After a few moments, Clement heard a weak "Come in." The door creaked as Clemont walked in. Lela was sitting up in bed, her hair tangled in her face, fear in her eyes. He watched her visually relax when she saw that it was him, her muscles relaxing and her breath coming out in a sigh, as if she had been holding it in. She beckoned him over to sit. "I'm guessing you heard my shriek. Sorry about that. I just had a nightmare."

"A nightmare? Poor thing," Clemont mumbled. He remembered when Bonnie used to have nightmares. How Clemont lived through that week, he didn't know. He had spent every night watching over Bonnie, calming her down when she woke up from a bad dream, trying new tricks to keep the evil dreams away, and eventually finding ways to keep her asleep. It had been awful for the both of them.

"It's not that big of a deal, just a nightmare," Lela said. Still, Clemont could tell she was scared.

Clemont decided to at least try and help. "Tell me what it was about," he asked gently.

Lela shivered and pulled the blanket around their shoulders. Clemont stiffened, but Lela didn't notice, or if she did, she didn't say anything. "I was surrounded by black. Nothing else, just empty darkness. It was nice at first, but then it turned stifling. I couldn't escape, and something was whispering my name. It was terrifying." She scooched closer, until their shoulders were touching. "I usually get nightmares when something big is going to happen or is happening. Last time, it was before the Great Flood. Before that, it was my coronation. This time, though, I don't know what in the world it could be."

Clemont murmured, half to himself, "Does it come before big things, or just bad ones?"

"Well," Lela whispered to him, "the coronation wasn't exactly a bad thing, and our Absol friends knew about the flood as well. I think I know what I need to do, but I'm not happy about it."

Lela stood up, pulling the blankets off of Clemont. "I think I know what will help with the nightmares." She smiled at Clemont. "Want to sneak down to the kitchens for a midnight snack?"

"I don't know," Clemont replied.

"Aw, come on! It'll be fun! Besides, it can be kinda scary in the hallways at night, but with a partner, you're never scared." Ignoring his protests, Lela half-brushed her hair and put on some slippers.

"Come on!" she whispered, grabbing his wrist and dragging him into the corridor. Clemont sighed and followed as best as he could, stumbling in the dark- he'd left the candle in Lela's room- and following her hurried voice. Following twists and turns, they eventually came across the dim kitchen, guarded only by a sleeping Houndour. The houndour awoke, lifting its head and sniffing the air, but as soon as it saw Lela, it relaxed and went back to sleep.

"The guard is there so that no one can sneak in at night and wreck the kitchen," Lela explained, "but we're only wrecking the kitchen to make a snack, and we're cleaning it up at the end any way."

"_We_? You're the one who wants a snack!" Clemont blurted out.

"Yeah, I know, but have you ever tasted my Concourdian-famous chocolate cake?" Lela grabbed the flour, baking soda, cocoa, and sugar out of a pantry. "Hey, can you get the soy milk and soy butter?"

Clemont sighed, then got the ingredients she had asked for. "If we get caught, I'm blaming you," Clemont stated while looking for the butter. "Hey, did you want the almond butter or the soy?"

Lela rolled her eyes. "I already said soy for both."

"Okay, okay, I just forgot, that's all. Calm down," he said, anticipating a fierce retort.

"I know."

Lela snatched the milk and butter away. Clemont just stood by as she measured, mixed, and poured the ingredients so that they folded into a soft chocolate batter. Clemont noticed, as he sipped some ice water, that everything seemed a bit rushed, a bit forced, as if she were hiding something. _I bet she's still scared from the nightmare. She seemed to recover quickly, but maybe she was just faking it._

After a few more minutes, where she poured the batter into a small baking tin, Lela finally put the batter in the oven- Clemont had hardly noticed when she turned it on in the beginning- and sat down. He stared at her for a little longer (he didn't know why), taking in the sag of her shoulders and the bags under her eyes. "You must be tired," Clemont commented.

Lela caught his gaze and nodded. "It's not easy taking care of my subjects, but it's my duty and it's what I do best." She fiddled with her hair and bit her lip, then cracked a small smile. "So, now that you know what I've dreamt, tell me what dreams you were having," she said with a tease in her voice.

Clemont smiled. "Well, it was a hot day, and we were all eating ice cream. That's about it." There was no way in Kalos he would tell her anything else about his dream.

"_And?_" she continued.

"What?"

"You have that, '_I'm not telling all of the truth_' look on your face. Spill it. What else?"

Clemont sighed. "There is no getting around you, is there? Fine. A girl from my childhood was there too."

"Which girl?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you're nosy?" Clemont was getting annoyed at the constant stream of questions. "I can see why Bonnie likes you."

Lela laughed. It was kind of cute, the way it tinkled in the air like a tiny bell. "Yeah, I have been told I'm nosy, but I don't let it stop me. Being curious is how our ancestors found out about fire and new pokemon." The smile faded from her face, and she let her eyes wander. "I understand if you don't want to tell me."

"Thanks," Clemont mumbled quietly. The two sat in silence for a few minutes, neither of them saying a word until the timer for the cake went off.

"Oh! It's ready!" Lela piped up, slipping on some oven mitts and turning the oven off as she grabbed the steaming chocolate cake. The decadent smell hit Clemont's nose, the rich chocolate scent mixing with the hazelnut and vanilla that Lela had added. His mouth watered, and he might have asked for a slice if it wasn't for the heat radiating from the pan.

"Careful," Lela warned as she set the pan next to Clemont, steam spiraling into the air with delicate patterns.

"When will it be cool enough to eat?" His stomach was growling.

Lela smiled. "I thought that you were blaming me, since you weren't eating."

"My hunger is too great to not admit that that looks delicious." So very delicious.

"I told you that it was worth it."

Clemont smiled. "Yeah, I guess you did." When would she just cut the cake?

"So am I still to blame?" Lela asked almost innocently, cocking her head and batting her eyes. She seemed to be playing around, but Clemont couldn't tell. He looked away, not answering.

Lela held her hand over the thinning steam, testing the heat. "It's cool enough to eat," she stated, rising to get a knife. _Finally,_ Clemont thought as she cut the moist cake into several slices. "Let's eat," she said, handing Clemont the larger piece.

"No, you should have the bigger slice, you made it," Clemont insisted.

"That's very chivalrous of you." The two sat down and ate the cake in silence. The sweet dessert tasted twice as good as it had smelled, the chocolate large but not dominating the other flavors of spices and cream. All in all, it was, as Bonnie would say, yumdeliciousness.

Clemont's head suddenly felt a bit fuzzy. He tried sipping a bit of water, but that didn't help it. His head started pounding a little. Deep breaths didn't help either. Maybe he just needed some sleep. That could be it.

Lela yawned. "I'm tired." Then, she noticed Clemont's grimace. "Hey, are you all right?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine." He didn't want to seem weak in front of Lela. _Wait, why do I care about that?_

Lela put her arms around Clemont's shoulders. "Come on, let's clean up and head to our beds." She grabbed the dishes and quickly rinsed and dried them. Before he had even blinked, Lela grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the kitchen. The motion made his headache a bit worse, causing black spots to appear. Lela didn't seem to notice, and half-tugged, half-led Clemont back through the winding corridors where they had come from, as if she had followed this path many times before. _She probably has,_ he thought, considering how well she navigated the pitch-black hallways. Clemont kept stumbling over the random twists and turns, the occasional bump, the abrupt stops. After about ten minutes, Lela slowed down long enough for Clemont to catch his breath, before realizing that they were in front of his room.

"Well, we're here. Goodnight," Lela said, looking at her feet.

"Goodnight." Clemont wanted to talk to Lela a little more.

Lela gently walked off toward her room, casting one final glance towards Clemont. Clemont trudged back into his room, flopping onto his bed. The headaches eased up as he lay down, and he snuggled up into the covers. He could still see her eyes in his mind, the flecks of gold bringing out the rich color hidden deep within her irises. He didn't know why he was focusing on her, but as he drifted into darkness, her face was etched in his mind.


End file.
